1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data transmission system, destination management device, data transmission device, address book acquisition method and program, and in particular to a technique for saving the trouble of transferring destination information when installing the destination management device that manages address books that each correspond to a different user of the data transmission device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In MFPs (Multi Function Peripheral) of recent years that transmit image data with use of a communication means, such as a facsimile and an electronic mail, a user generally registers a list of destinations (address book) in advance to save the trouble of entering a destination, and selects the destination from the list.
However, when using a plurality of MFPs, a user takes trouble in registering destinations for each of the MFPs. To avoid the trouble, it is possible to use a so-called “directory service”, and provide, from the directory server, the destination information registered in the address book.
For example, an LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) allows a user to use the same address book among the plurality of MFPs, thereby improving the convenience of the user. The LDAP can also provide devices connected via a network, such as MFPs, with various types of information in addition to the destination information.
However, in a case where a plurality of users share an MFP, the number of destinations to be registered in an address book becomes large, resulting in making it difficult to find a desired address. Also, there may be a case where a user needs to register an address that he/she does not wish other users to know. This has created a demand for a technique using a destination management device that manages the address books that each correspond to a different one of the users.
In a case where the destination management device is newly installed while the directory server already exists, it is necessary to transfer the destination information managed by the directory server into the destination management device. However, if the destination management device cannot access the directory server (if the device does not have an access right), it is more troublesome to transfer the destination information.